A legal definition of what comprises of salary within the cap is needed. I would think that weasel words & "get around clauses" will have been used. Is a club car included & are mortgage payments part of salaries. Until definitions of what's in & what's out are stated there will always be cheats!

Legality is the issue. The PRL put a cap in place, and have now chosen to break it in effect. There's nothing illegal (by way of the LAW of England) in that.

The cap wording was quite clear really, any payment made to the player or his family etc, that is made due to him playing at the club, no matter who pays it, should be included. A prime example is JJs pies, a great way to pay JJ extra cash, but if his pies are no longer for sale at the AP, then it's rather likely it was on the basis of him being a sarries player. The PRL contract itself stated that potential loopholes should be reported and not exploited.

Raggs, it is absolutely not a legal issue. It is one of integrity, openness and honesty. A drugs cheat breaks no laws, simply breaks the agreed code enter into by all others taking part. Put simply, you shake hands, one sticks by the agreement the other don't - basically every principle the game is based upon.

Rob SmithRaggs, it is absolutely not a legal issue. It is one of integrity, openness and honesty. A drugs cheat breaks no laws, simply breaks the agreed code enter into by all others taking part. Put simply, you shake hands, one sticks by the agreement the other don't - basically every principle the game is based upon.

Although everyone plays every game by breaking those rules and trying to get away with it

Rob SmithRaggs, it is absolutely not a legal issue. It is one of integrity, openness and honesty. A drugs cheat breaks no laws, simply breaks the agreed code enter into by all others taking part. Put simply, you shake hands, one sticks by the agreement the other don't - basically every principle the game is based upon.

Although everyone plays every game by breaking those rules and trying to get away with it

Of course. But if you get caught you don't throw your toys around and phone your lawyer. You say sorry Sir, take the sanction on the chin and get on with it.

I like the idea put forward in The Times I believe that Saracens should in future have an asterisk placed after their name when talking about honours won to signify that their Premiership victory last year was in a discredited competition.

Not the greatest sanction of course but at least it has the merit of being truthful which is a pleasant change in this tawdry affair.

Bath's statement omits the very necessary "We didn't enter in a confidential settlement with PRL", or words to that effect, that we made sure to clarify. This suggest that they DID sign a confidential settlement with PRL and seem to be guilty of exploiting loopholes, if not explicitly breaking the cap.

In any sport breaking the spirit of the rules is just as bad as breaking the letter of them, IMO.

Shame Sarries are storming on. From the amount I got to watch however, Farrell, George and Itoje all appeared very strong (only saw half the first half though), and I'm generally reluctant to praise Farrell.

So after failing to get Faletau, Barf have just signed David Denton from Edinburgh. Maybe not quite as high a profile but still pretty useful and probably not cheap. Don't help themselves really do they?

WaspieKevSo after failing to get Faletau, Barf have just signed David Denton from Edinburgh. Maybe not quite as high a profile but still pretty useful and probably not cheap. Don't help themselves really do they?

In fairness to the cheats, they did get a massive payment for Sam "Im a centre, honest" Burgess going back where he belongs.

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